Improvement in potato-planters



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Patented Nov. 5, 1878.

T. J. DAVIS.. lP01;Lto-Plamer.

L f N'FETERS. PHOTO-UTHOGRFHER, WASHINGTON. D. G.

3 Sheets-Sheet. 2.

T. J.. DAVIS..v PotatoA-Planter.

No. 209,607. Ptented Nov. 5,1878.

NPEEHS. PNOTOLITHOGRAPE WASHINGTON. D. C.

UNTTED STATES PATENT Talon.

THOM-As J. DAvIs, or FAIR nAvnmNnw vonk.

I M PROVEM ENTA IN POTATO-PLANTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 209,607, dated November 5, 1878; application filed July 28, 1876.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, TnoMAs JEFFERSON DAVIS, of Fair Haven, in the county of Cayuga and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Potato-Planters, of which the following is a specification:

The invention will be readily understood by the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved machine. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional elevation. Fig. 3 is a plan sectional view taken on line ac x, Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on line y y, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a plan sectional view taken on line w w, Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a detached bottom view of the potato-hopper.

The operative parts of this machine are built upon or attached to the horizontal frame A, which rests upon the transverse axle CB, which in turn is supported upon the bearingwheels C. The axle B is fixed to the wheels C, and turns with them, and cog-wheel b, placed upon the said axle, turns with it and imparts motion to other parts of the machine hereinafter described. The wheel b ts loosely upon the axle, and is engaged by a tongue upon the said axle, which tits into a groove in the wheel, so that the latter may be moved into or out of gear with its connection, as hereinafter more fully explained. The wheel b has a projecting hub, b2, on the periphery of which there is a groove, b4, into which the clutches of the operating-lever K engage to move it as required.

A plowframe, D, is attached to the frame A by means of suspending-links d and a draftrod, d1,which has its front end connected with the pole a by means of a hinge-joint, d', that permits the frame D and its connections when down to be raised in a slightly-backward direction. The upper ends of the links d are attached to arms e e, which have a swinging movement in a forward direction, and are fixed to the ends of two transverseroclr-shafts, E E1, that have their bearings in the top part of the frame A. The outer extremities of the arms e c' are connected together on both sides of the machine by the parallel rods E2 E3, so that both rock-shafts are made to move simultaneously. The leverF, which is fulcrumed to the frame A by the side of the drivers seat S, is connected by means ofthe rod f with one of the forward arms e of the rock-shaft E, and by moving this lever F backward or forward the plow-frameyD and its connections may be raised or lowered, as desired.

O11 top of the frame A, and xed to it, is a top frame, A, that supports two hoppers, Az and A3. The larger hopper, A2, is intended to be used as a reservoir for the seed-potatoes that are to be distributed, by it. A circular aperture, a2, in the bottom of the hopper A2 permits the discharge at that point of the contents of the said hopper, and a small aperture, a3, in the bottom of the fertilizer-hopper A3 permits the discharge at that point of the fertilizer. Directly below the aperture a2 is a feeding apparatus, consisting of a disk, G, which is iixed to the vertical shaft H, and an adjustable cylindrical rim, G', which is supported by the arms g from the hub g1, which fits on the shaft H so as to be easily moved up or down thereon, and is fixed in position by means of the set-screw g2. The disk Gand the rim G' are partly surrounded by the segmental casing a', which is fixed to the top platform a5 of the frame A1.

In front of the feeding apparatus G G', and a little to one side of the same, is a vertical shaft, I, the top end of which carries a distributing-arm, l', that rotates with it. Pockets t', the edges of which constitute cuttingknives on the ends of the arm I', pass through the opening in the side of the casing a4, and between the disk G and the rim G', and as the said` knives rotate they draw out and slice the potatoes, which are carried forward to the top end of the chute A4, down which they pass to the furrow that has just been opened by the plow d3. The arm I' is made. to slide up or down on the shaft I, and the setscrew t" fixes the same in position as required.

As shownin Fig. 6, there is a slide, J, on the bottom side of the fertilizer-hopper A3, which slide is habitually closed over (or under) the aperture a3 by means of the spring j. The slide J is iixed to a lever, J', that is fulcrumed to the bottom side of the hopper A3 bythe screw or pin jl. A lug, jz, on the end of the lever J' is arranged so as to be engaged by the pins iron the arm I, as the said arm rotates, and the valve or slide J will thereby be opened and closed twice at every revolution of the arm I by the combined action of the said arm and its pins @"2 and the springj. The arrangement ofthe parts is such that the pins i2 will open the valve or slide J and permit the potatoes and the fertilizin g material to be dropped together down chute A4 into the furrow prepared by the plow d3. The plows d4 d5 will then follow and cover up the potatoes and the fertilizer, and the planting operation will then have been completed. The vertical shaft H, which operates the feeding apparatus above described, has its bearin gs in the frame A A1, and receives its motion through the miier-gear wheel h, which is fixed to its lower end, the said wheel h being actuated by the bevel-geared drivin g-wheel I). The drivingwheel b may be moved into or out of gear with the wheel 7L by means of the lever K, which is fulcrumed at 7c to the frame A, and has its frontend forked, so as to engage the groove b4 of thewhubof the wheel b. The rear end of the lever Kis connected by means of the rod K1 with the short lever K2, which is iulcrumed to the frame A by the pin 7c. The outside face of the lever K2 is curved or broken into two faces, and this outside face is placed in contact with the lever F, so that the same motion of the lever F which is made to raise or lower the plow-frame D will also, through the medium ofthe lever K2, rod K1, and lever K, move the wheel b into gear with its mate h, or out of gear, as the case may be; and the operation of the lever F in setting the plows into the ground will also simultaneously start the feeding and dropping mechanism of the machine.

A cogged wheel, 71.1, 011 the shaft H gears into a cogged pinion, h2, and this pinion 1n turn gears into and sets in motion the cogged wheel i2, upon the shaft I and thus the two shafts H and I and their attachments are actuated simultaneously.

I do not broadlyclaim mechanism for raising and lowering the plow-frame of a potatoplanter, but my claims relate to the improved construction herein shown. t

Having thus described my invention, I desire to cla-im- 1. The feeding mechanism consisting of disk G, adjustable rim Gr', shaft H, provided with gear-Wheel h, segmental casing a4, and shaft I, carrying the distributing-arm I', in combination with the bevel-geared driving-wheel b, having on its hub the groove b4, and adjustable on the axle, as shown, lever K, rod K', short lever K2, and hand-lever F, whereby the movement of the hand-lever lowers the plowframe and also starts the feeding mechanism, as specied.

2. The revolving feeding apparatus Gr G I z', constructed and operated as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The feed-arm I and the feed-slide J, with its arm J', the lugj, and spring j, all arranged and operated as and for the purpose set forth.

This specification signed this 13th day of June, 1876.

ANTON C. GRONDAL, F. BARRITT. 

